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TheGreenMan

Native
Feb 17, 2006
1,000
8
beyond the pale

Just to correct the above. It should have said something like' According to the article, Elliot Schrage of Google is quoted as saying that data from the basic search is retained for 18 months'. Sorry about that, a bit of a brain storm must have garbled that.

On a general note, I think that part of the problem with issues relating to Internet Privacy are the people who know least about it are those that are often most worried, active and vocal in the ‘privacy scene’. I’ve read the most misleading scare mongering by people who don’t appear to have the slightest idea how networks work, or who don't even know how to correctly configure the software that the use on a daily basis to interact with networks.

If they did, they wouldn’t be spending small fortunes on ‘security’ software. Most domestic security issues can be resolved quite easily by configuring the Web Browser software correctly and following some very simple rules regarding the use of email software. This of course is something of an inconvenience, and probably why people so readily spend money on more software in the hope that they need not educate themselves. The problem with that is that the user never actually gets to understand how networks work, and they remain in a state of anxious ignorance, or never realise when the software isn’t doing what the vendor claims it will .

...but I do however care that they seem to be trying to build up enough information to sell us things we didn't really want...

Well, that's modern marketing (see below).

...Theres a bit more info about it HERE...

Interesting, but I’d dispute some of that article. To the best of my knowledge the section about the Google cookie is correct, but I’d challenge that Google are learning anything about you, other than your IP (no great shakes there, networks won’t work without knowing your IP. For instance, without an Internet Protocol address when your Web Browser sends a request to, say, the BCUK server for a Web page, the server wouldn’t know where to send the code that renders the pages in your Web Browser, you’d just be looking at a blank screen and waiting forever for the page to render), general location, and what sites you visit and some other minor stuff.

The proxy software that the article mentions may not work, in the sense that it may not, in fact, anonymise your IP. I can’t speak of the ones mentioned but the ones I tested a few years ago, simply bounced me from proxy to proxy in various parts of the world, but I proved to my satisfaction that that at every jump the proxy was forwarding on the details of the originating IP and so the server that I was requesting pages from knew where the request had originated, thus defeating the whole point of the, so called, anonymising network of proxies that the software was setting up for me, the user.

The article also states that broadband connections have a ‘fixed IP’. This is not so, some ISPs provide what are known as ‘static IP’ (fixed) and other provide the customer with a ‘dynamic IP from a pool of IPs that are registered with the ISP.

The article also states ‘You should also avoid using your internet service provider's search engine page: it already knows who you are.’ – am I missing something here?

There is no such thing as anonymity on the Internet, be it Email or the Web, or any other type of network. It would take more effort and inter-agency cooperation to locate you on some networks than on others but it can be done, there is no hiding place if someone with sufficient skills and resourses wants to find you. Period. And by that I mean actually knock on your front door having traced you through your online activity. That may sound serious, but I don’t consider it any more serious an invasion of one’s privacy than the folks who phone you and try and sell you something or try and extract information from you about who you buy various services from etc, or people who send unsolicited mail by post. Yes it’s an invasion of your privacy, but how ya gonna stop it?

...its just that I saw a thread on a motorcycle forum I use and although the language of the quote I copied out is a bit scaremongering there is enough of a basis of truth in it for me to bother with something that gets shot of the everlasting ccookie....

Well, the easy answer to the everlasting cookie, the so called, immortal cookie, is to either configure the Web Browser not to accept cookies or delete the cookie after every browser session.

...Most of the complaints the first quote I copied out don't rate at all on my Giveatossometer...

Cool.

Kind regards, Scott,
Paul.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,691
710
-------------
The article also states ‘You should also avoid using your internet service provider's search engine page: it already knows who you are.’ – am I missing something here?
but I don’t consider it any more serious an invasion of one’s privacy than the folks who phone you and try and sell you something or try and extract information from you about who you buy various services from etc, or people who send unsolicited mail by post. Yes it’s an invasion of your privacy, but how ya gonna stop it?

Your right, which is why I have signed upto the telephone preferance service to stop coldcallers as well.
You can even get Royal Mail to cut down on the junk mail they deliver by regietering with the Mail Preferance Service which I also did after I read THIS I'm just not buying so sending crap through my letterbox is a waste of resources, the stuff I do get sometimes gets put into another companies pre paid envelope and costs them more money to receive junk mail back;)
I have heard of someone sending an old motorcycle tyre to a company that sent them junk mail with a pre paid envelope but I don't know if its possible to do nowadays.



Well, the easy answer to the everlasting cookie, the so called, immortal cookie, is to either configure the Web Browser not to accept cookies or delete the cookie after every browser session.

Thats what the cookie zapper thing does, but without me having to do it myself cos although I am slightly bothered by it, its not enough to bother make me to track down the cookie myself everytime I use Google cos I am basically a bit idle;)
Scott.
 

TheGreenMan

Native
Feb 17, 2006
1,000
8
beyond the pale
Both of those services you mention a very effective, Scott.

And I sympathise with the ‘a bit idle’ thing too. I realised one day that I had around 20 passwords memorised, each of more than 15 characters in length. It occurred to me that this was possibly a little excessive to secure a domestic machine.

I decided to relax the protocols a little. It wasn’t that I couldn’t follow the protocols I’d developed for my personal use (this was done as an exercise to sort the ‘wheat from the chaff’ in respect to what I was reading about the security of home computers) it but it was the inconvenience of the procedures that were tiresome.

And it’s inconvenience to the user that is often a weak point in computer security. Make the protocols to be followed too inconvenient and the user will be temped not to follow them, make them too restrictive, and almost totally secure, and the machine is unusable in many respects, make the protocols too slack, and the vulnerability of the machine may be potentially dangerous, in the sense that people whom you don’t know and who are more skilled than oneself can gain access to the machine, and remotely control some aspects of it.

The fun for me is to find the least tiresome way to configure and use a domestic machine and without having to resort to installing third-party software, and then maintaining a balance between a reasonable amount of privacy and a reasonable amount of convenience. If you or anyone else likes to use third-party software I’m comfortable with that (after all, it’s none of my business), and good luck to you.

And please don’t get me started on security related configuration of domestic wireless networks…I’d be posting for days about that too :eek:

Kind regards,
Paul.
 

stevesteve

Nomad
Dec 11, 2006
460
0
57
UK
Hi,
I have been working in Holland again this week and th site has been deperately slow on the hotel's kisok PCs.

Now I'm home... it's just as bad on XP+IE7 :-(

Also when ever I log in to the site (again, even from home) it is not retaining my details. It says thanks fot logging in Stevesteve but when I go to the forums it does not offer 'Posts since your last visit', just 'Todays posts'. I even had to re-enter my details to post this reply. However, now I have the 'Reply to Thread' page I get 'New Posts' back.

Confused (easily done ;) )

Anyone got any ideas for an IE user?

Cheers,
Steve
 

DoctorSpoon

Need to contact Admin...
Nov 24, 2007
623
0
Peak District
www.robin-wood.co.uk
Hi,
I have been working in Holland again this week and th site has been deperately slow on the hotel's kisok PCs.

Now I'm home... it's just as bad on XP+IE7 :-(

Also when ever I log in to the site (again, even from home) it is not retaining my details. It says thanks fot logging in Stevesteve but when I go to the forums it does not offer 'Posts since your last visit', just 'Todays posts'. I even had to re-enter my details to post this reply. However, now I have the 'Reply to Thread' page I get 'New Posts' back.

Confused (easily done ;) )

Anyone got any ideas for an IE user?

Cheers,
Steve
There's a couple of separate threads about logging in issues - have a look at:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25398
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28904
 

TheGreenMan

Native
Feb 17, 2006
1,000
8
beyond the pale
Just to add to what DoctorSpoon has posted in respect to the login issue, there’s a fair bit of maintenance work taking place on the BCUK site, I understand.

The problems seem to come and go, and affect individual members at different times, and in different ways.

I think we just have to patiently sit it out until the Admins sort it out. I’m sure it’ll all come good in the end :)

Hope this helps.

Best regards,
Paul.
 

TheGreenMan

Native
Feb 17, 2006
1,000
8
beyond the pale
Try this, is does work, widu13 :)


1. Download and install the Mozilla Firefox Web Browser, and then download and install the Mozilla Add-On here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10


2. Open Firefox > Tools > Adblock > Preferences > then, into the New Filter field type ‘http://83.170.96.58’ (without the quotes) > Click on ‘add’ at the right of the New filter field > Click on the Done button.

Hope this helps.


Best regards,
Paul.
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
Try this, is does work, widu13 :)


1. Download and install the Mozilla Firefox Web Browser, and then download and install the Mozilla Add-On here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10


2. Open Firefox > Tools > Adblock > Preferences > then, into the New Filter field type ‘http://83.170.96.58’ (without the quotes) > Click on ‘add’ at the right of the New filter field > Click on the Done button.

Hope this helps.


Best regards,
Paul.

Works perfectly, many thanks Paul ?) :You_Rock_
 

Eric_Methven

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 20, 2005
3,600
42
73
Durham City, County Durham
Try this, is does work, widu13 :)


1. Download and install the Mozilla Firefox Web Browser, and then download and install the Mozilla Add-On here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10


2. Open Firefox > Tools > Adblock > Preferences > then, into the New Filter field type ‘http://83.170.96.58’ (without the quotes) > Click on ‘add’ at the right of the New filter field > Click on the Done button.

Hope this helps.


Best regards,
Paul.

Brilliant! Thanks for that.
 

mick miller

Full Member
Jan 4, 2008
520
0
Herts.
genius!
owe_you_one_Emoticon.gif
 

hiraeth

Settler
Jan 16, 2007
587
0
64
Port Talbot
Try this, is does work, widu13 :)


1. Download and install the Mozilla Firefox Web Browser, and then download and install the Mozilla Add-On here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10


2. Open Firefox > Tools > Adblock > Preferences > then, into the New Filter field type ‘http://83.170.96.58’ (without the quotes) > Click on ‘add’ at the right of the New filter field > Click on the Done button.

Hope this helps.


Best regards,
Paul.

Big thanks for that tip :beerchug: :beerchug:
 

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